Of Ladies' Maids and Valets
by Ashleigh Crawley
Summary: More of the Shocking the Servants series, this time it's the maids and valets. Thanks to my lovely beta settees-under-siege, you are amazing and very helpful.
1. Thomas

_Author's Note: Alright, this fic will have precisely 7 chapters. Chapter two is O'Brien. That's all I'm saying for now. Huzzah for more of Cora and Robert shocking the servants! Thank you to my darling, splendid, terrific and fabulous beta settees-under-siege. You are a doll and I love you. _

_March 1912_

Thomas could not believe the nerve of some people. Mr. Watson had just left his job, leaving Mr. Carson no choice but to make Thomas look after His Lordship. Thomas hated the pompous snob, yet he would do anything to gain more power as a servant, so he bit his tongue. Not to mention he thought Her Ladyship was always notably lusting after her husband. When Thomas had dressed His Lordship for bed the previous night, he had gone straight into Her Ladyship's bedroom, and when Thomas had gone up that morning, he still hadn't come back from Her Ladyship's bed. From what he had heard from Miss. O'Brien, he always stayed in his wife's room, all night. And the bed was always a mess too. Thomas laughed, not envying Miss O'Brien and what she had to go through all the time.

Thomas continued doing his job, pretending to really like His Lordship. It wasn't that difficult. It's not like His Lordship ignored him as he was dressing him, the two of them often engaged one another in conversation and His Lordship behaved like nothing was wrong with the fact that he went to his wife's bed every night. Thomas thought it was most improper, since it was no secret that the couple had married to save the estate. His Lordship's title in exchange for his American wife's money. It was a heartless reason to marry. Thomas knew though, that if he ever got married, it would not be for love at all. The world was a heartless place, and Thomas envied His Lordship and his happy marriage, his loving marriage. He resented happy couples, especially happy couples with bumpy beginnings.

He was simply doing his job and being courteous to his employer, so that he wouldn't get sacked. That was the last thing he wanted. He had been the stand-in valet to His Lordship for close to a week when he was bringing up some of His Lordship's evening shirts to the dressing room. He was putting them away when he heard a banging against the dividing door between the dressing room and Her Ladyship's bedroom. He stopped moving and went to the door to listen. He pressed his ear against it, seriously wondering what was going on. He hoped that nothing had happened, that nothing was wrong. His worry disappeared when he heard a giggle that obviously belonged to Her Ladyship. She wouldn't be giggling if she were injured.

"Oh Cora," he heard his Lordship's voice say, along with a few groans.

"Robert, harder," Her Ladyship pleaded. Thomas' eyes grew wide; he wasn't stupid, he knew exactly what was going on in that bedroom. But why against the door? They had a bed. He was shaken from his thoughts by more rhythmic thumping against the door, much harder and faster than before. Thomas pulled his ear from the door, stepping back, for it had been shaking against his face, and it was getting horribly uncomfortable.

"Cora, I'm going as hard as I can, unless you want the door broken," His Lordship grunted. Thomas' face crunched up in disgust. This was really improper.

"Break the door, Robert," Her Ladyship begged. "I need you." Thomas left the rest of the shirts that hadn't been put away on the bed and he left the room, scared in case the Lord of the House, in response to his Lady's begging, did break the door and they saw him standing there.

As scheming as Thomas was though, he considered the intimacy of Lord and Lady Grantham that he had overheard as a closely guarded secret. He would never tell a soul.


	2. O'Brien

_April 1914_

After almost 10 years in the Crawley's employ, Sarah O'Brien thought that nothing in the world could ever shock her about Lord and Lady Grantham. In the beginning, she had thought it strange that the two shared a bed and that His Lordship was always affectionate and loving towards his wife. They were an unusual couple in her eyes and nothing could shock Sarah O'Brien now. Or so she thought until that morning in early April.

The morning began as it always did. She got up, dressed, and went downstairs until the bell rang for her to bring up Her Ladyship's breakfast. So she left the Servant's Hall via to the kitchen to fetch it. She went up the stairs, knowing that His Lordship would have left his wife's bedroom by now. She knocked on the door and entered as she always did, nearly dropping the breakfast at the sight before her. Everything was normal about this morning, until she had walked into the bedroom. His Lordship had not left the bedroom yet. And instead, he had stayed and obviously was trying to scar her for eternity. He was on top of Her Ladyship, naked. The two were moving and making sounds. It was obvious that they were making love for there was no room for misinterpretation.

O'Brien was so shocked,she could not move a single muscle! She was glued to the spot, the breakfast tray nearly falling from her fingers. Her Ladyship rolled the two of them over, putting her on top. His Lordship grabbed her hips, assisting her in her movements. Her Ladyship let out a low moan, the couple very obviously oblivious to the maid standing in the room, until the tray hit the floor. The clatter made both Lord and Lady Grantham sharply turn their heads to see O'Brien standing there, frozen. Her Ladyship screamed, rolling off her husband and grabbing at the bed covers to cover the two of them. She didn't want anyone else seeing her husband naked, unless it was Bates. She didn't like him all that much, but more than she had liked Mr. Watson. Bates was loyal and Cora was alright with him seeing Robert in various states of undress. "O'Brien, why are you standing there?" His Lordship asked, holding the covers up to his neck. O'Brien moved her mouth, as if to speak, but no words, no sound, left her mouth. "Get out," His Lordship barked.

"But, Robert, the mess! I'm not cleaning it up," Her Ladyship groaned.

"Of course you're not! We'll ring for her and she can come clear it up," he said firmly, putting his arm around her. "I'd never make you clean up a mess." She turned her head and kissed him softly.

O'Brien left the room still feeling a bit stunned at what she'd seen. She shook her head as she heard a loud squeal come from the bedroom. _This has been the worst morning of my life_, she thought. _I dropped the tray because of their actions, and I have to clean it up. Typical of His Lordship to not be able to take the blame for his actions. I hate that man so much that I want him to lose everything good in his life._

O'Brien sat in the Servant's Hall until almost quarter to eleven until Her Ladyship rang for her. She sighed and asked Anna to help her clean up the mess. She agreed and the two made their way up to the bedroom, knocking, and waiting to be called before entering. His Lordship was _still_ in bed with his wife. Anna and O'Brien cleaned up the mess before Her Ladyship asked O'Brien to bring up tea for two. O'Brien nodded and left the room.

About four months later, the house found out that Her Ladyship was pregnant once again. And Sarah O'Brien was not shocked in the slightest.

_Author's Note: So, this event here, is sort of coinciding with the event of Cora and Robert's baby being conceived. Cora would have been very into Robert, and I can actually picture, in my mind, Cora distracting Robert for some terrific fun, even after she has rung for O'Brien. This fic is practically the only time I have ever felt bad for O'Brien. I have literally no sympathy for that woman. She's not like Thomas; he's misunderstood because of who he is, O'Brien is EVIL. Next chapter: Lang (the shell-shocked valet from series 2)_


	3. Lang

_May 1917 _

Andrew Lang had experienced a difficult life up until that point. He had grown up relatively poor, his parents, before they married had been a farm hand and a Ladies' Maid, and together they had raised him on a farm in the Southern part of Yorkshire. His parents did have a loving relationship, until his father died. Then the war had come and Andrew had gone off to fight, only to then suffer from shell-shock and be sent back to England. People in his hometown had sneered at him, calling him a coward because he wasn't fighting for their country. And he knew they wouldn't understand, even if he explained all the particulars to the few willing to listen because they didn't know how hellish the conditions really were on the front. The papers made very sure of that. Then he got the job at Downton as Lord Grantham's valet and his fortunes changed for the better. One evening, he decided to go and make sure His Lordship's clothes were ready for when he would be changing for dinner in about an hour.

He went upstairs and was walking along the hall, about to enter His Lordship's dressing room when he heard a loud _thump_. He furrowed his brow slightly, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. He gently pressed his ear against the door, listening. If His Lordship was in there, what if he had fallen and was injured? He listened for a moment before he began to hear gasps and groans come from inside the dressing room. He was about to burst in when he heard a voice call out in a relatively high pitch: "Robert." Lang thought for a moment. He was fairly certain that Lord Grantham's name was Robert, and that was possibly Her Ladyship's voice. Was Her Ladyship hurt? And if so, why would she be in her husband's dressing room? He listened and heard a responding: "Cora."

Lang's eyebrows shot higher up his forehead. They were in there together! He heard more groans, gasps and a few creaking noises as well. He knew precisely what was going on in that dressing room. He wanted to leave, but it was love he was hearing, and all he had heard in his head for so long the sounds of war. The sounds of passion and love were very much a welcome change in Andrew Lang's mind. He knew it was wrong to listen, but he had never heard a couple who were so in love who had been married as long as Lord and Lady Grantham had.

The sounds inside the room got louder and more passionate as time went on. He heard His Lordship call to his wife: "mine, all mine!" And every time, she would reply in a gasp: "all yours, my love."

He heard the two of them pant after a little while before both of them cried out and the bed ceased creaking. He heard the couple trying to catch their breaths afterwards, before His Lordship spoke again. "My love, you must get dressed and go back to your room. I'm sure the dressing gong is going to ring soon and we must be decent for O'Brien and Lang to dress us for dinner. I hate to part right now, this afternoon has been wonderful. I love you, my dearest."

"I love you too, Robert," he heard Her Ladyship say. "You know that. And I cannot think of a better way to spend the time between tea and dressing for dinner. You know I love being with you so much. Why did we ever stop making love like that?"

"The war has changed a lot, my love," he whispered. "It's changed our priorities. It's made you much more independent than you were before. It's allowed you to flourish in a new role, and it's told me that I'm an old fool who really ought to understand the good things he has in his life. Cora, I understand why you didn't want me to go to war. Looking at Lang. I see that. Now go my love, I'll be in shortly." A moment or so passed before he heard the dividing door open, the sound of a kiss and the door closing again. His employer's had changed him. For once since he began fighting in the war, he had heard the sounds of love.

_Author's Note: Lang doesn't get enough love, and personally, I don't understand how everyone seems to forget him so easily. He was a good guy who had been through unimaginable horrors. He did his duty and I think that he needs to have more love in this fandom, even simply hearing it happen between Robert and Cora. The only reason I made him listen in on them was simply because, in his mind, he can't get away from the war, but hearing this intimacy shows him that he isn't there anymore, which would have been a comfort. Next Chapter: Edna (I'm so sorry, but her chapter must be done too. Even though I hate her so much,less than I hate Green, but not by much and slightly less than I hate _that maid _that seduced Robert. Come to think of it, Green is the only character I hate more than _that maid_.)_


	4. Edna

_Early March 1922_

Edna Braithwaite was happy to be back at Downton Abbey, close to him again. Tom Branson, the handsome ex-chauffeur turned estate agent. Sure she hadn't seen much of him, instead she was busy taking care of Lord Grantham's rather high maintenance wife, Lady Grantham. She left the Servant's Hall after mending a few of Lady Grantham's nightgowns. Somehow they always managed to get ripped. Edna had her suspicions, but she'd never voice them, except to Barrow. She knew that his Lordship went to bed with his wife every night and rarely was he gone before she came in the next morning. Barrow usually made no comment when she told him this, she assumed that he knew. She walked up the servant's staircase and headed for the Mercia bedroom.

Upon entering the bedroom, she noticed that no one was in there. _Well, she just rang for me, _Edna thought. She looked about the room for a moment, noticing that the dividing door was open slightly. She heard her Ladyship's giggle float through from the other side and his Lordship's chuckle. "Cora, darling, you don't need to dress me, Bates will feel bad," he said.

"The poor man is sick Robert, you were right to send him home, I can manage," she replied. "Now, turn around, I need to fix your tie."

"I usually do this bit myself," his Lordship said.

"I certainly hope so," her Ladyship replied with a laugh. "Personally, I don't like the thought of Bates touching you like this, especially when I helped you with your trousers. I don't think Bates would touch you like that. Anna would get jealous."

"Barrow might, but not Bates." The couple burst into laughter for a few moments. "Now, you've rung for Braithwaite, and she'll be getting upstairs, you ought to go back to bed."

"I want a kiss first. Bates gets paid to dress you, I just want a kiss," she replied, snorting lightly. "Again, I think Bates would rather take the money than kiss you. I wouldn't want to cross Anna. She's sweet, but I bet she'd rip a grown man apart if she wanted to, if he really made her angry."

"Good point Cora," his Lordship said. "Now, that kiss."

Her Ladyship let out a small giggle as Edna approached the door. She barely saw his Lordship pull his wife into his arms and press a soft kiss to her lips. Edna felt she was seeing something she shouldn't, so she backed away and the last thing she saw was her Ladyship wrapping her arms around her husband. _If that nightgown is ripped, _Edna thought. _I won't be all that surprised. But honestly, at _their _age, they should take it easy. _She left the room and only returned when she heard the dividing door between the bedroom and the dressing room close.

_Author's Note: I didn't want Edna to really catch them in the act because I just hate her. Alright? So that's all she saw. But I'm writing a Thomas internal thought stream and I may post it somewhere. _


	5. Molesley

_January 1923_

Joseph Molesley was and always would be glad for a taste of his old life; either as a valet or a butler, so he was very pleased when Mr. Carson and Mr. Bates asked him to take over for a night with his Lordship while Mr. Bates and Anna went to London. His Lordship has approved of this idea since they hadn't had a honeymoon, and then Bates was arrested, after that the house was in mourning for Lady Sybil and Mr Crawley whose death tore Lady Mary seemingly in half and Anna refused to leave her. Following that, an invisible divide had seemingly come between them but after a period of time had evaporated just as quickly from whence it came, finally freeing them to make plans for their overdue honeymoon. It was only for three nights, but that was all they had wanted. Molesley couldn't be more glad that he had been chosen over James and Mr Barrow, the first footman and the under-butler. There must have been a reason.

The first night, he decided to go up before the gong to get everything ready for when his Lordship came upstairs to get dressed for dinner. He didn't want to let his Lordship down by not being able to find something. He approached the dressing room door, raising his hand to knock, in case his Lordship was inside when he heard a dull _thud _against Lady Grantham's bedroom door followed by a whimper.

_Well, that's odd, _Joseph thought before there was another _thud_ and her Ladyship's voice called out, 'Robert.' _What is going on? He can't be hurting her, he'd never do that, it's clear that he loves her far too much to let anyone hurt her, let alone him doing it. Unless they're..._

"Cora!" Joseph heard his Lordship groan, breaking his train of thought. "Oh. Cora!" Joseph's eyes widened before he realized that Lady Grantham was indeed not hurt. He went into the dressing room, positive that his Lordship was not in there. He tried his very best to ignore the the dull thudding and heavy breathing from the next room which came before the loud cries.

The dressing gong rung and about a minute after, his Lordship came in through the dividing door. "Ah, Molesley," Lord Grantham said, his face red and his breathing still irregular from his exertions. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but her Ladyship and I were reading and she wanted my opinion on what she should wear tonight."

"Not a problem, m'Lord," he replied. I was simply making sure that I knew where everything was." He helped his Lordship out of his jacket, noticing that his tie was twisted at the back as well as several red marks along his Lordship's throat. It took everything he had to not chuckle. Reading wasn't likely, but if they had been, the material must have been quite interesting.

After dressing his Lordship for dinner, Molesley went back to the Servant's Hall to sit down before going to attend to his footman duties during dinner. He sat next to Miss Baxter who barely acknowledged his presence. He had a feeling that her Ladyship had come up with some story to explain what had happened. He wondered for a moment if it was the same. Miss Baxter finally looked at him and the two of them burst into silent laughter, shaking their heads a few times.


End file.
